When SHTF These 100 Items Will Disappear First

Take a SHTF scenario such as a hyperinflationary collapse. The traditional monetary system may become worthless, transportation systems may come to a halt, the utility grid may go down and the populace panics.

For any beginning prepper or those on a budget, the below list may be overwhelming. If you have not yet begun planning and preparation for an emergency or disaster, consider the basics first.

When planning for an emergency, think about the worst situation imaginable.Â Here is mine: chaos to get as much food and supplies as possible, gas lines that run out into the street, highways at a virtual stand still, banks not giving out money, looting, fires,Â babies crying because that have no formula to drink.Â Itâ€™s not a pretty picture when you allow yourself to imagine it.Â Having supplies on hand can put a person way ahead of the game.Â While some people are battling the lines and the grocery stores, you could be packing your items up and headed for hills before they even attempt to.

Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war â€“ death of parents and friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.

1. Stockpiling helps. But you never no how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources.
2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.
3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster.Â But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper.Â Its surplus value is greater than goldâ€™s.
4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity â€“ itâ€™s the easiest to do without (unless youâ€™re in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)
5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating.Â One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy â€“ it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible.Â Only needs enough heat to â€œwarmâ€, not to cook. Itâ€™s cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk.
6. Bring some books â€“ escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues.Â Sure, itâ€™s great to have a lot of survival guides, but youâ€™ll figure most of that out on your own anyway â€“ trust me, youâ€™ll have a lot of time on your hands.
7. The feeling that youâ€™re human can fade pretty fast. Â I canâ€™t tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne.Â Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity.Â These things are morale-builders like nothing else.
8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches

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Great List, but number 3 – portable toilet?Â I don’t think so.Â People can use the regular toilet and if not, they can just dig a hole in the ground.Â Â Believe me when nature calls who really needs a “portable toilet?”Â The animals in the forest don’t have the luxury of a portable toilet.Â Â Sounds like a total waste.Â

… a total waste??? lol toilet-waste. really bad, sorry, but it is easily to imagine FAILED plumbing, if subjected to enemy attack. If water lines were leaking and would flood the domicile, then it would have to be turned off. Hope for the best, expect the WORST! That is reality.

NOYB wait, RE: the generator. You must change the oil, every TWO DAYS? or even if run only when needed, this would be require large quantities of oil and waste accumulation. HUH? This oil and the time/energy needed to change oil would be needed for other pressing survival activites. What is the source of this oil-changing frequency data?

It’s called maslow’s hierarchy, when you have a phd and well funded research and a reputation better than maslow’s feel free to change it, liberty is already fading away but people are still surviving, living like normal even. Today congress in the US is discussing a bill that removes all rights to a fair and speedy trial by being capable of holding terrorist suspects indefinitely, regardless of US citizenship or not. Sure some people will support it, because terrorists are bad right? So when the US gov’t starts arresting liberal bloggers, and protest organizers, and anyone who uses free speech to hold the govt accountable then there will be no complaints from the supporters right? Liberty is not being able to do what you want when ever you want to, its being able to say ‘this is wrong’ without being beaten down. Liberty is gone already, but standing your ground to defend yourself and your community can not be killed off easily, but it is by no means a necessity, half the “modern world” is living proof that you can easily live without liberties.

Generators
Plus extra air, fuel, and oil filters.Â Extra oil; you’ll be changing it every 50 hours of operation.Â Spark plugs and plug wires.Â Tools.Â Get a diesel one that runs at 1800 rpm, they’re much quieter.Â Fit it with a double muffler and build an insulated partial enclosure to quiet it down even more.

Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
I used a cheapo $7 lamp from Kroger (also at Wally’s) all last winter for reading and to get used to it.Â Rather than buy separate lamp fuel I used clear kerosene since I was also running a radiant heater in my office.Â I tried the dyed kerosene and it stunk more and gave me a bad headache using the heater. Wicks (lamp or heater) are cheap on EBay.Â Keep a couple extra lamps in your stockpile and 20 gallons of Kerosene.Â Talk about a great barter item.Â A lamp and a quart of kero will be worth a lot after people have burned up all their candles.Â You could be the go-to person for lamp fuel, and nobody can shoot you with it like trading bullets.

Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
Forget that.Â Standardize on clear kerosene, since your diesel generator can burn it too. Your genny is a diesel, not a Home Depot Special, right?

Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)
Craigslist often has used 100lb cylinders.Â I picked up a couple empties for about 55 bucks each in good condition, then bartered with a landscape place to fill them.Â If you just use propane for cooking it will last a damn long time.

Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
Kroger had an end of season 50+% off sale in September for their barbecue stuff.Â They had two burner propane cook stoves with covers for $12.50.Â Don’t forget cheapo lighters and dollar store melamine spatulas for turning food.Â Add restaurant-grade thick tin foil so the grates and such last longer.Â Get adapters to run the stoves from 20 or 100lb tanks.

Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
Rolls of TP can be food-saver-ed to take up half the space for a bugout bag or car kit.

Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
I have been experimenting with AA NiMH 2500mAH batteries from China, bought on EBay.Â $8 for 12 shipped.Â USB chargers for 2AA are $1.36 each.Â Solar battery chargers with built in compartment for two AA’s are 12 bucks at Harbor freight.Â A cigarette lighter USB adapter will run the 2AA USB battery charger.

Matches. {“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
Cheap lighters from the dollar store are 4-5 in a pack for a buck.Â They’ll light a lot more fires than that box of matches.

Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns
Forget light sticks, shelf life is too short.Â If they’re old they’re dull on activation.Â Just try hiding it if you suddenly need to be discrete or invisible.Â Bought some Maglight combo kits (One 2D and one 2AA) for 15 bucks at Wally’s last year.Â EBay has some cheap Chinese head-strap LED lights for a few bucks shipped that work good with the 2AA rechargeable batteries. Harbor Freight has a single LED keychain light for $1.50, and since I bought it I use the damn thing all the time.Â EBay has 50 packs of the LR44 button batteries from China for $4.Â I’m standardizing on LR44 in my button battery appliances.Â While on the battery topic, I refreshed the batteries in my digital watches and bought spares since they’re available.

Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
Had some old hand sanitizer that was maybe 4 years old.Â It was gooey but it burned like crazy.Â Great Sterno substitute rather than throwing it away.

Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
Try the Great Value and Kroger house brand mixes that are like Crystal Light in the little tubs, 4 tubs per tube, and about $2 per tube.Â They are supposed to make 2 quarts per tub but they make a whole gallon and it does NOT taste watered down.

Coffee
Food Saver the tea and coffee into standard trade units.Â You decide what that is and mark the packages accordingly.

Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
Which run on what again?Â Are you going to use your generator for this?Â I thought not.

MY ADDITIONS:
– Stabilized 100LL Avgas – it doesn’t have all the garbage that’s in regular gas, the untreated shelf life is a year plus, not 30-60 days.Â Use it for critical tools like a chain saw or tiller.

– Rotor tillers, the more the merrier.Â Buy old sturdy models on CL or at yard sales and fix them up.Â They need to work, not look good.Â If it’s rusty the seller will think he has an old POS, but you will be looking for the cast iron gear assemblies and heavy steel telling you there’s probably lots of life remaining.Â Look for newer lawn mowers that people throw away because they can’t be bothered to clean the clogged air filter, and put the newer engine on the old tiller.Â Learn how to work on stuff now while you can still run to the store for parts.Â A crappy old wheezy, oil-burning, rivet-dangling rotor tiller is 100x better than you trying to work a shovel all day.Â Buy spare belts at Ace Hardware, they’re only a few bucks.

– Oil and filters for your tools.Â This includes bar and chain oil and 2 cycle oil.Â Cheap “Super Tech” Wally World oil in the blue bottle is better than the old crummy oil in your engine.

– FREE RESOURCES.Â Keep an eye out for anything you can use that someone else thinks is junk.Â Shelves, hand tools, boards, corrugated metal sheet, plastic tubing, old sewing machines, blankets, tires and rims that fit your vehicle (I said fit, not match).

– Knowledge and awareness will be more critical than gear.Â If you are just waking up to the S about to HTF, get to work stocking up and learning.Â You might want to skip watching the game and read something useful or figure out how to fix up that old tiller.Â If you read this and thought “sheeeeit, that’s overkill and it will never get that bad” – go ahead and turn the game back on.Â Enjoy.Â But don’t come to my house looking for food.

Tri-fuel quiet Honda generator or carbÂ refitÂ from generatorsales.com.Â NG orÂ C3H8 and your fuel doesn’t go bad. Â You have to feed it so one should pay attention to fuel use at half load or less.Â I have a great deal of aluminum foil also Scab.Â
Aladdin lamp is only lamp that puts out a large amount of light and heat (while on high) for keeping room warm during winter.Â Safe for use indoors.Â Use distilled fuel only for best results.Â No smell.Â Lehmans.com has best price.Â

Don’t forget to include a ‘ non-electric ‘ means to cook food and purify water. Sterno is cheap and storable. Alcohol burners are also a cheap back-up cooking source.
A woodburning stove with an oven could become a prize possession in your home.Though expensive, it would provide you with the ability to cook, bake, boil water, and heat. I believe lots of firewood will be for saleÂ during hard times if you can’t cut your own.( Cutting wood could provide income. )
A solar panel, some automobile batteries, and a 12V/120V power inverter would allow you to run a TV, with digital converter box and antenna, without the use of a generator.
Unless you plan on having an unlimited supply of fuel, anticipate the possibility of living without power.Appliances may eventually become useless.
Emergency preparedness should include the mindset that you don’t know when things will get back to normal.You may have to rely on your provisions for a very long time.Gear up folks !

Wheedle, I’m a big fan of The Rocket Stove…Â For when oil-based fuels run out and there isn’t much wood to be had.

My big concern with cooking, either with food or any other fuel is the smell of food. If one hasn’t eaten for a week, he/she could smell a steak, or even freeze dried stew, cooking a mile away.

If the S really hits the fan, I would be looking at keeping it simple and just boiling water outside (maybe indoors with the right ventilation), and mixing with “just-add-water” meal packets, as opposed to cooking meets or stews, at least until I figured out a way to conceal the smell of home cookin’.

If one has an electric power source, consider a food dehydrator… If you are able to find meat where you live when the SHTF, you can dehydrate in 4 – 6 hours with a standard food dehydrator and would not have to worry about fumes from a stove and the smell going too far. Two Words: Squirrel Jerky!

Power Consideration: Solar power/wind/hydro, in my view, would be the only power sources to look at for long-term preps. Wheedle, good call on the car batteries — a simple storage solution right there. A gas/diesel generator is fine for short-term emergencies like hurricanes, power outages, etc., but you definitely don’t want to be running a generator when everyone else is out of food and fuel and riots are breaking out unless you’re far enough away from (un)civilized populations to where no one can hear.

Be sure you try those before you NEED them. I know there were some people (A couple I believe) tested their just add water and powdered egg meals and landed themselves in the hospital (both of them).

You know the part where they say just buy what you normally really enjoy as a treat – in our case that would be those peanut butter wafer bars with chocolate outer coat. That is a much better example of stuff you deny yourself normally because of calories which has great shelf life and could make a really nasty month a whole heck of a LOT more bearable.

My 2-cents. Stock what you love not what you squint and wonder what it will taste like.

I find lists such as this interesting to spur thought but certainly not useful as a shopping/storage list.Â They should be used to help you focus on your weaknesses as it pertains to food/water/shelter/health/comfortÂ if you can provide for those you can get through almost anything.

I don’t know if they listed dental floss. Things like salt will be needed. Things that will store for a long time like honey and vinegar will be needed. Things like flour I suppose would have to be sealed to keep bugs out. When you don’t have something can you imagine what you would pay for it? Money might not have any value. Someone might have a roll of dental floss and you might have to message their love muslce to get some. Those people in Eastern Europe already live like that. Times can’t be harder for them.

I can see it know SHTF and people start crying they can’t get pizza delivered. I can tell you now if you really want something like a tall glass of ice tea or some oysters on the half shell and you offer someone $100 for 12 oysters and they say money is no good to me. I have plenty of food, fire wood and hygiene materials. In a week you’ll need these things very bad and you have a nice looking wife and the guy says I want what she’s got between her legs and then reality will hit you. Do you turn away as the guy bangs your wife or watch the show. Humans can be reduced ti animals without civilization.

It’s all so true….or could be true. Hope it does not come to this but better to have and not need than need and not have. No matter what my family and inner circle friends have already made our plans…rally points, color of the day, cb radio comms channel pre selects, etc. God Bless the USA and her troops.

Actually That Maslows Hierarchy is wrong.. not to mention redundant. He’s got sex and sexualÂ intimacyÂ twice on theÂ hierarchy. Now I’m a red blooded american and I like sex but this chart is incorrect. This one is Â HIGHLY andÂ SubjectivelyÂ modified by someone who did not understand itÂ completelyÂ or read a little too much into the originalÂ hierarchyÂ of needs. The real basic elemental foundation should be “survival needs” (food water shelter etc), the Next level are safety/comfort needs (lazy boy, blanket, playing cards etc) The third tier is psychological needs (friends, family, loved ones, community) The 4th tier is “Self Actualization” (accomplishments, rewards,Â recognition etc.) and the 5th capstone of the pyramid is simply “Peak Experiences” – The need and ability to act, as we please based on our talents , interests and experiences. Â What we are doing as preppers falls into the capstone because we are accomplishing something we feel is most important based on our freedom and knowledge and desire/interest to do so. All that other BS was subjectivly interjected and also wrong. No offense.Â

somwhow i sense the fact that some of you have not spend much time under the tracks..talking aboutÂ where you stand on a stupidÂ triangle,penthouse magazines,you better be thinking about security.let me catch you playing with yourself,am going to take everything you got stupid.some of you talk like your going camping for the weekend…when it starts it might never end in your lifetime which might be shorter then you think.some of are founding fathers lost everything .homes ,family members.all their money.all…are you ready to risk that..risk losing all your comforts..your job ..becuase when it hits.theres no coming home to screw your best friends wife anymore..you run into me your going to be staring down a barrel ofÂ a 454…with backupÂ ..if i let you live that long….throw up ..or stand up..then get the hell out of the way..cause theres fighting to do

Well Jess E wanna be… just remember that it isn’t the “fight starting” you have to worry about. People like yourself shoot first.. mark yourself and are removed from the gene pool quickly. Doesn’t take much to realize surviving doesn’t mean shooting your fellow man. No single man is a defensible island. Your back up wont mean much either if you cross the wrong paths. While there will be fighting it should be a last resort not first option.

On the subject of cooking oil and coffee.
I have read a lot of lists on what to store. A few didn’t mention oil at all. I was surprised.
I would like to suggest coconut oil. Coconut oil will last for many many years and is much healthier than vegetable oil. Coconut oil is a health food and can help many ailments including keeping wounds clean. It is antibacterial. It is great for stomach problems, reducing visceral fat from the midsection and doesn’t go rancid and change structure when heated.
Here is a site that sells five gallon buckets of pure oil. I bought a few of them.http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/

Coffee is mentioned way down on the list but I think it is more than just a drink, it is an excellent trade and barter item because it makes you feel good. The smell alone will cheer up a depressing day. People will trade a lot for a “good” cup of coffee. The problem with coffee is that it doesn’t last if roasted and if you buy green beans they need to be packed so as to not mold. Roasted beans spoil quickly. Even vacuum packed coffee continues to oxidize. Green beans are the only form of coffee that will store for long term. Here is a site that sells green coffee beans packed for long term storage.http://www.coffee-reserves.com

This article was very helpful. I printed and added to “the survival binder” of information I keep and refer back to.

whoever wrote this has NO idea what is needed to survive. CHOCOLATE? he put fishing supplies two times in the first 40. Probably a child wrote this article. I didnt even finish it because it was a foolish article but I bet vegetable seeds is not on the list.

Your water heater probably holds 40allons. Why not pick up a few more curbside – not the leaky ones – and store them in your basement for additional H2O? Most are glass lined and easily refilled with fresh water when available.

I notice things not necessary on the list/s, but over all the ideas are great in all the posts/replies.

I would like to add a few things–
1. Medical supplies–not just bandages–if you have left overace bandages, crutches, braces, rubbing alcohol, etc–they can mean the difference between life and death. Cheap items like sulphur powder can help heal wounds. Mosquito netting/spray (nonscented if possible), sharpening stone, stainless steel implements–including dental, medications (many last much much longer than their expectation dates), pet medication–including rabies vaccines, etc (hmmm , just pondering–can a person obtain and store rabies shots), snake bite kit, to name a few.
2. Iodine–not just for medical kit–doesn’t it purify water?
3. I saw baking soda on one list for putting out fires, but baking soda znd baking powder are essential for many cakes and breads–not just yeast. Make sure salt is iodized, or you could end up with and iodine deficiciency–do your research—but non iodized also

Oh–and chocolate can go rancid, so be careful what types you buy and how you store it.

One interesting note:
How the heck did humans survive for thousands of years without much of what we’ve all listed? Sure, life is easier with them (should I say survival?), and we are healthier and live longer with the medicines, food storage knowledge, etc., that we have today, but if we’re talking survival, one thing I want to know is how the local Indians survived all those year’s before white man arrived in America. They didn’t need food dehydrators, etc. I also remember the good ole’ Mother Earth News magazine telling us all how to live off the land.

MATT, you got a better list? the comment section is wide open lets hear your brilliance. I’m betting yours wouldn’t be worth fully reading either. Nothing wrong with this list at all a lot of comfort items but who doesn’t want that. Just remember that it comes down to three basic things food,water,shelter.

Never trust a government that doesn’t trust its own citizens with guns. – (Benjamin Franklin)

A lot of great advice here and of course some comedy and nay saying. Be that as it may, I have read much of the blogs and of course the original story and comitted to paper for advice. I/we have done quite a bit in preperation for the SHTF calamity including a well and solar panels. The only thing I see that doesn’t seem to be rec’d here is wire, parachute cord and rope. One person rec’d dental floss which is great for doing a number of things including stitches. I saw first aid kits some where. Though useful, I’ve aquired some emergency surgical supplies. Medical tools can be purchased online fairly inexpensively. There are many books on how to for most instances that you might face,something is better then nothing when the chips a seriously down. There are also many military based books for survival under all conditions and are very inexpensive to buy. The SAS handbook comes to mind. Unfortunately for us, we are all over 65 so we don’t really have the ability to “Bug Out”. So, we found a semi defenseble place to live away from the maddening crowds just far enough from the city and with many like minded folx between us and them. They won’t be really interested in losing what they have so, like us, will defend whats theirs before the raiders get to us. And still, we live a wonderful life in a small but very nice community up in the mountains reasonably close but far enought to be a decent buffer zone. I try to do a little more each day, keeps me busy also, to be a little better preped in the event of catastrophe. The monetary system may very well collapse but some US gold (small denominations) and silver coins may be useful for barter and well known enough to be easily verified. Good luck and God help us all!!

The list could easily be expanded into the hundreds, even thousands, most of which you would likely have many around the home. May I add, plastic storage containers, airtight. You can store many of the “100” in these and you have them, so little extra room. Tools, you mention obvious woodworking tools, but don’t forget metal working tools such as wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, etc. A survivalist world will be a scrounging world, and you will be taking apart many machines to get wheels, nuts, bolts, screws, rods, metal plate, things you will fashion into needed items. I don’t see SEEDS on your list. And please, I know everyone wants to be peaceful, but you need weapons. Small caliber rifles for small game, shotguns and large caliber rifles as well as pistols. Consider rightsizing your collection so that the fewest calibers are needed (may I suggest .22, .40, .223, .308 and 12 gauge) this way you are likely to come upon the most commonly available ammunition, and in a pinch, a hunting party or self defense group will have the same ammunition (all .223 weapons for instance). And a VERY large supply of ammunition. Ammunition keeps longer than food, and for the first year or to at least, those with guns who are otherwise completely unprepared will take from those without guns.

In the seeds think about plants with medicinal properties. If your talking really long term a plant that continues to produce antiseptic and a cloth that can be boiled and reused are much better than band aids and Neosporin.

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